Maddy's Book Blog

  Love from Christmas Tree Farm by Jo Thomas I hadn't read any books by Jo Thomas before, but the premise of Love from Christmas Tree Farm immediately appealed to me, and its festive setting made it irresistible. I'm pleased to say it lived up to my expectations, proving to be a fun, heartwarming read that was perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I read it in a single day. Gwen lived at Christmas Tree Farm with her beloved husband, Paddy, but after his death she finds the huge farmhouse far too lonely for just her, her dog, and her collection of chickens and ducks. With something always going wrong and the old house becoming a money pit, she decides it is finally time to sell up and move to a small new-build flat. Then social worker Lara gets in touch, looking for somewhere, even temporarily, for Willow, a young distant relative of Paddy's whose mother is too seriously unwell to care for him. Although Gwen and Paddy never ha...

  Time After Time by Clare Swatman I am a sucker for a timeslip novel, and having previously read and enjoyed another timeslip story by Clare Swatman, I was confident I would be in for a treat, and I wasn't disappointed. Time After Time is a warm, feel-good novel with plenty of heart, making it the perfect read for the festive season.   Robyn's best friend, Aida, has a habit of giving her truly dreadful gifts, and this year's offering is no exception: a clock that is supposed to bring good luck. However, legend has it that if the clock is broken, the last person to touch it will be forced to relive the same year over and over again. After an awful year in which her beloved mother dies, Robyn goes to sleep on New Year's Eve and wakes up to discover it is 1st January of the previous year. Given a chance to do things differently, she is determined to change events and save her mother, but can she alter the future, or are some things destined to happen no matter what? ...